Hanger hamper



Dec. 31,1963 R. J. PETERSON HANGER HAMPER Filed March 1, 1962 V Facile? L INVENTOR fi/W/ cf//arw/z ATTORNEK United States Patent 3,115,968 HANGER HAMPER Robert J. Peterson, RU. Box 5193, Grosse Pointe, Mich. Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,732 2 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates to carton members in general, and more particularly to a collapsible carton member for the storage of clothes hangers.

Clothes hangers, when not in use, create a major storage problem for clothing stores, dry cleaners and other establishments. Usually such hangers are made of wire and become interlocked and tangled when thrown loosely into a storage box. Even the wooden hangers create problems in this regard due to the hook portion provided on all clothes hangers and the numerous positions a hanger can assume when tossed carelessly into a large box.

It will also be appreciated that a box in which hangers are loosely collected is unsightly and frequently unmanageable. Accordingly, it is usually kept out of sight and is either inaccessible when needed or occupies valuable under counter space. The box usually sits on the floor and must be moved if the fioors are washed or the bottom of the box becomes soaked and falls out. The box, when required to be moved, must be grasped across the bottom and carried at arm heighth; usually exposing ones face to a disarray of hanger hooks.

Once the clothes hangers are in use there is no need for a storage box and accordingly no permanent retainer for unused hangers would be practical. Further, it would occupy valuable space and until needed would be unnecessary.

It is an object'of this invention to provide a clothes hanger hamper for the storage of clothes hangers when not in use.

The clothes hanger hamper of this invention is collapsible and accordingly may itself be conveniently stored away when not in use.

Other attributes of the hanger hamper of this invention include the ease with which it may be erected or collapsed, that it is sized to keep clothes hangers in an orderly manner, that the hook portions of the hangers are kept separate to avoid entanglement, and that the hamper is inexpensive to provide and accordingly disposable after reasonable use or if seriously damaged.

Further objects and advantages to be gained in the practice of this invention will be better appreciated and understood upon a reading of the following description I of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an open plan view of the carton blank used to provide the hanger hamper of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the hanger hamper as erected.

FIGURE 3 is an outside bottom view of the hanger hamper showing the interlocking relation of the bottom closing flaps.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view looking down into an erected hanger hamper.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the hanger hamper of this invention showing a clothes hanger member as carried therein.

The hanger hamper of this invention is preferably made of a reasonably strong and durable corrugated paper board material. The hamper is formed from a carton blank having a back wall panel 12, side wall panel 14, front wall panel 16, side wall panel 18, and an interconnecting wall flap 20. The wall panels mentioned are provided in succession, as listed, with the 3,115,968 Patented Dec. 31, 1963 "ice interconnecting wall flaps 20 intended for subsequent engagement with the back wall panel 12 in the forming of the blank to box shape.

The wall panel portions are separated by edge forming creases 22, 24, 26 and 28. As will be appreciated, the carton blank 10 is scored in the course of being blanked to provide these creases which later facilitate folding of the carton blank to box shape.

The carton blank 10 is also formed to include certain bottom forming flaps. These are provided on the adjacently disposed ends of the wall panel portions 12, 14, 16 and 18 and include, respectively, closure flaps 32, 34, 36, and 38.

The carton blank 10 is suitably scored to provide the bottom edge forming creases 42, 44, 46 and 48 between the wall panel portions and bottom forming flaps.

The bottom forming flaps 32, 34, 36 and 38 are individually formed for inter-cooperative locking to provide a carton bottom which is readily erected and easily collapsed. The interlocking relation of the flaps is, however, such as provides a sturdy bottom closure while the carton member is in use and one which is not inadvertently collapsible.

The back wall bottom flap 32 includes an undercut center section 52with extended tabs 54, 56 at its outer side edges.

The side wall bottom flaps 34 and 38 have undercut corners 58 and locking tabs 62.

The front wall bottom flap 16 includes undercut corners 64 leaving a center locking portion 66.

A hand hole 68 is diecut in the back wall panel 12 near the top edge thereof.

The carton blank 10 is also formed to include an elongated slot 70 which is provided in the front wall panel 60 and extends from the upper edge thereof to the bottom edge forming crease 46 separating the front wall panel from its respective bottom forming flap 36.

The first steps in erecting the carton blank 10 includes folding the blank upon itself along the edge forming crease 24. The interlocking wall flap 20 is folded back upon the side wall panel 18 along the edge forming crease 28 and is stapled, stitched or otherwise fastened to the free edge of the back wall panel 12.

In the disclosed embodiment staple fasteners 72 are used to provide a horizontal stitch joint in connecting the wall flap 20 to the back wall panel 12. The staples are driven from the outside of the box and the ends of the staples are clinched back upon themselves over the connecting wall flap 20.

The front and back wall panels 12 and 16 are essentially of equal width, as are the side wall panels 14 and 18. Accordingly, the wall panels 16 and 18 are readily folded flat against the wall panels 12 and 14. This provides a flat folded carton blank which is easy to store or ship, takes a minimum of space and is easily erect ed to rectangular shape when required.

The fiat folded carton blank is erected to rectangular shape by simply exerting pressure upon opposite side edges of the flat folded blank whereupon the preformed edge creases 22 and 26 allow the blank to assume the required shape.

The bottom of the carton is erected in the following manner:

The bottom wall forming flap 32 is first folded into the box. The side wall bottom flaps 34 and 38 are next folded over the back wall bottom flap 32. In such relation, as shown by FIGURE 3, the tab ends 54 and 56 of the back wall bottom flap 32 are retained under the side wall bottom flaps 34 and 38 while the locking tabs 62 of the side wall bottom flaps lie closely adjacent, but do not overlap, the edge of the undercut portion 52 of the back wall bottom flap 32.

To complete the forming of the carton bottom, the front wall bottom flap 16 is folded over the other bottom forming flaps. It extends over the side wall flaps 34 and 33 and has the locking portion 66 thereof received under the edge of the undercut section 52 of the back Wall bottom flap 32.

As will be appreciated, the bottom forming flaps rcsist being folded into the erected carton but are yieldable to the extent necessary to enable the locking portion 66 of the front Wall bottom flap 16 to be inserted under the back wall bottom flap 32. Furthermore, the inherent spring resistance to being folded into the erected carton assures a fiat folded bottom and frictionally tight interlocking of the bottom forming flaps.

FIGURE 4 shows the relative interlocked relation of the bottom forming flaps 32, 34-, 36 and 38 as seen looking down into a fully erected carton.

The carton bottom is collapsed by simply pushing in, from outside, on the front wall bottom flap 16 to disengage the center locking portion 66 from under the back wall bottom flap 32.

As shown by FIGURE 5, the hanger hamper providing carton is of a width and length which will conveniently receive the body portion 74 of a clothes hanger member 76 therein and the elongated slot 76 is positioned within the front wall panel 16 to receive the neck of the hanger therethrough so that the hook portion 78 is disposed outside the carton.

Clothes hangers received in the hanger hamper of this invention have a limited amount of relative freedom within the carton. They are located by the extension of the neck of the hangers through the front wall slot 70 which leaves the body portion 74 of the clothes hanger only such freedom as enables it to be freely received within the hanger hamper so that it may fall easily to the bottom. Although not required, separators (not shown) may be placed on top of each clothes hanger disposed in the hamper for further isolation of one hanger from the other. However, with the hook portion 78 of the clothes hangers disposed separately the entanglement problem is relatively inconsequential.

The hanger hamper box is preferably of a height which will carry a reasonable number of clothes hangers. The weight of even a large number of coat hangers is of minor significance. The hamper is sized principally for convenience of location under counters, hanging from the edge of a counter (as by use of the hand hole opening 68) and like considerations. The paper board carton may also be cut down to any desired height.

Clothes hanger members are placed in the hanger hamper by grasping the hanger about the hook portion 78 and placing the body portion 74 of the hanger into the carton, with the hanger neck in the slot 70, and then allowing the hanger to fall to the bottom of the carton or on top of other hangers disposed in the hamper. Hangers may be individually removed from the carton hamper by picking up one of the exposed hook portions 78 and raising the hanger to the top of the hamper.

It will also be appreciated that the whole hanger hamper may be lifted and turned with the back wall 12 down so that the hangers in the hamper stand vertically and, assuming all of the hooks are aligned, the hangers may be engaged with a clothes pole and the carton thereafter removed from around the hangers. This is a most convenient and expedient way of returning clothes hangers to a clothes rack for use.

As previously mentioned, when the hanger hamper is not required for use the bottom is collapsed and the hamper may be folded flat for storage.

Although an open wire clothes hanger is shown by the drawing, it will be appreciated that covered wire hangers, plastic clothes hangers and others are equally useable with the disclosed hamper. In the use of plastic hangers, the chance of damage and breakage is considerably minimized, with appreciable savings as regards the more expensive hangers. Further, a boxful of plastic hangers is much lighter in weight and can be more readily lifted and carried by salesgirls without the help of stock clerks.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be appreciated that certain modifications and incidental improvements are within the scope and teaching of this invention. Accordingly, such modifications and improvements as are not specifically excluded by the hereinafter appended claims are to be considered as inclusive thereunder.

I claim:

1. A collapsible clothes hanger hamper for the storage of clothes hangers comprising: a collapsible carton member having interconnected front, back and side wall portions respectively sized for flat folding, said front and back walls being of the same size and configuration and said side walls being of the same size and configuration and of substantially less size than the front and back walls, said wall portions each including a carton bottom forming flap contiguous therewith and having a fold line at the meeting thereof, said carton bottom forming flaps being respectively shaped for locking into engagement in the erecting of said carton member and holding the carton member in erected position and ready disengagement in the collapsing thereof for storage, a hand hold provided in said backwall portion and near the top edge thereof for cartage of said carton member when erected, said front wall portion having an elongated slot of a width of the neck portion of the hanger and extending the full length of the front wall, said slot being open at the upper end thereof and terminating at the bottom end thereof at the fold line of the bottom forming flap of said front wall, and said carton member further having the respective wall portions sized having the body of a clothes hanger disposed therein with the neck portion of said hanger disposed within said slot and the hook end carried outside thereof to facilitate the removal of the hangers therefrom.

2. A collapsible clothes hanger hamper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall forming panels provide a hamper box having a low center of gravity and being of greater length than Width or depth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,770 Smith July 14, 1891 1,999,879 Lee Apr. 30, 1935 2,609,919 Lee Sept. 9, 1952 2,730,231 Ryan Jan. 10, 1956 2,747,732 Fischer May 29, 1956 2,877,943 Gastright Nov. 17, 1959 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHES HANGER HAMPER FOR THE STORAGE OF CLOTHES HANGERS COMPRISING: A COLLAPSIBLE CARTON MEMBER HAVING INTERCONNECTED FRONT, BACK AND SIDE WALL PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY SIZED FOR FLAT FOLDING, SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE AND CONFIGURATION AND SAID SIDE WALLS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE AND CONFIGURATION AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY LESS SIZE THAN THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS, SAID WALL PORTIONS EACH INCLUDING A CARTON BOTTOM FORMING FLAP CONTIGUOUS THEREWITH AND HAVING A FOLD LINE AT THE MEETING THEREOF, SAID CARTON BOTTOM FORMING FLAPS BEING RESPECTIVELY SHAPED FOR LOCKING INTO ENGAGEMENT IN THE ERECTING OF SAID CARTON MEMBER AND HOLDING THE CARTON MEMBER IN ERECTED POSITION AND READY DISENGAGEMENT IN THE COLLAPSING THEREOF FOR STORAGE, A HAND HOLD PROVIDED IN SAID BACKWALL PORTION AND NEAR THE TOP EDGE THEREOF FOR CARTAGE OF SAID CARTON MEMBER WHEN ERECTED, SAID FRONT WALL PORTION HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT OF A WIDTH OF THE NECK PORTION OF THE HANGER AND EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE FRONT WALL, SAID SLOT BEING OPEN AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND TERMINATING AT THE BOTTOM END THEREOF AT THE FOLD LINE OF THE BOTTOM FORMING FLAP OF SAID FRONT WALL, AND SAID CARTON MEMBER FURTHER HAVING THE RESPECTIVE WALL PORTIONS SIZED HAVING THE BODY OF A CLOTHES HANGER DISPOSED THEREIN WITH THE NECK PORTION OF SAID HANGER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SLOT AND THE HOOK END CARRIED OUTSIDE THEREOF TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF THE HANGERS THEREFROM. 